


Stitching

by tryptprince



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: Animal Abuse, Implied abuse, Mentions Of Gender Dysphoria, Multi, Other, Pre Canon, Trans Stein, Unethical Science, Violence, stein back story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 21:09:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28801863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tryptprince/pseuds/tryptprince
Summary: Percy and Mary Stein love their son, Franken, very much. But with all the trouble he's caused, they start to think that maybe he should be sent away. Will he flourish at Death Weapon Meister Academy, or will he succumb to the madness that's afflicted him since birth?
Relationships: Marie Mjolnir & Franken Stein, Spirit Albarn | Death Scythe & Franken Stein
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be putting a note at the beginning of each chapter that I feel needs a content warning reminder. This chapter mentions the death of a small animal, please be warned.

Percy and Mary Stein weren't ever considering having children. Not out of a particular dislike or simply not wanting them, they just weren't sure if their lives were heading in that direction. And so it was a happy surprise when Mary announced her pregnancy to Percy one night before bed. They were well established in their fields of work, had savings built up, and had moved into a new house 6 months prior. A baby was simply the icing on the cake.

They were as happy as any new parents could be, announcing in the newspaper and to friends and family about the new addition to the household. They were a popular couple and the baby shower was lavish with gifts for a beautiful baby.

He would come to be called Franken.

* * *

By the time Franken was a year and a half, he was methodically pulling apart his stuffed animals. Being so young, he didn't exactly realize that what was in them was in the name. Building blocks were easier, if boring, but whatever he made (and he could make a great many of things with them), he could also destroy. The crash on a falling tower also caused him to laugh gleefully. Mary and Percy chalked it up to Franken being a rambunctious child, never feeling the need to chastise him overly so.

It was when Percy found a dead animal in Franken's room at the age of 4 that they began to panic.

“Frankie, honey.” Mary said gently, examining him for cuts, bruises, or blood. “What did you do?”

“Hurt.” He replied. “Fix.”

“This... squirrel was hurt...” Percy said slowly, trying to make sense of it. “And you wanted to make it better?”

Franken shook his head. “I hurt. I fix.”

“Percy, look...” Mary tried to control her voice, but it sounded fearful. “A clean snap of the neck...”

“Let's just... let's just get it cleaned up. Frankie, you're gonna sleep with mommy and daddy tonight, okay?”

Franken nodded. “Am I bad?”

The Steins looked down at him, unsure of how to answer. It could be idle curiosity, but he was four years old and he had snapped the neck of a squirrel. He had admitted to it – but he also wanted to fix it.

“No.” Mary said firmly, picking Franken up and holding him close. He squirmed a little, not liking to be picked up, touched, or held. But Mommy seemed upset, so he stilled himself. “You are not bad. This was an accident, but you shouldn't do it again.”

“Okay...” He replied, yawning.

“Should I get some supplies from the hospital?” Percy asked his wife. She nodded.

“Yes, I think that the entire room needs to be sanitized.”

Mary carried Franken to the master bedroom as Percy headed out to the hospital. He was practically asleep by the time she had him changed into clean clothing, despite the jostling as the worried mother checked him for anything else.

“Mommy...?” He murmured, nestled against her.

“Yes, dear?” She replied, stroking his silver hair.

“You're very beautiful.” The end of his sentence was punctured with a yawn as he settled in, his breathing slowed as sleep overtook him.

Mary had no idea how to react to this sudden statement. Franken spoke to both of him more in the past hour than he had since he started speaking. They knew he could talk because he often did so to himself. For Franken to not only talk, but to compliment her? How could she respond? She supposed now it didn't matter as he started snoring lightly.

Little did she know that hers was the first soul that he had ever seen, nor that he had been so captivated by it that it had compelled him to be open and honest with his parents.

One of the first and very few times he would do so.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for a brief mention of transphobic violence and some... well my mama used to whoop my ass so i have a weird threshold when it comes to child abuse but there is some roughness there that might upset more sensitive readers.

Nearly a year later, Franken would get in serious trouble for the very first time. The Steins' had indulged his morbid curiosity by allowing him to see pictures from surgery practices or autopsies, teaching him how to hunt (Percy was too squeamish so he left it up to Mary) and properly dissect, and buying him all sorts of child-level scientific knickknacks. He was happy with each one he got. Until he wasn't.

They struggled every day to keep him occupied. They taught him how to read and write. Bored with English, he taught himself other languages as well and decided to speaking mostly German around the house. Both fluent, his parents had no problem acquiescing to this.

Franken's room soon became piled high with medical text books, manuals on vehicle maintenance, volume upon volume of the history of weapons, witches, and souls. He threw a fit whenever Percy tried to clean anything, so they left him to his own devices.

Until he cut up every single piece of clothing he owned after being left alone for merely an hour.

He still had the scissors in hand when he heard his mother swearing at him, using his full name. He winced and immediately dropped everything he was holding.

“What the hell?” She picked him up and shook him. “You start school in less than a month and your response is to TEAR YOUR CLOTHES TO SHREDS?!” Franken tried to wiggle out of her grip but she held him fast.

“Why, Frankie?” She was about to cry, he noticed, her eyes becoming shiny. “Why did you cut up all these pretty dresses? We can't just buy you a whole new wardrobe!” The Steins were doctors, but that didn't necessarily mean they could shell out money like that.

He finally managed to escape from his mother's arms, falling to the floor with a painless thump.

“Dresses...” He muttered, kicking a scrap of fabric away from him. “You never ask me what I want to wear... you just buy stuff and expect me to like it.”

Mary blinked, taken aback by what Franken was saying. “You... never ask for clothes so we just buy you stuff when you grow. You never complained so I thought...”

“I don't like dresses.” He was still mumbling, refusing to look Mary in the eye. “Everyone says I'm such a pretty girl.” He began explaining, tugging at his long silver hair. “But I'm not a girl. Girls are...” He didn't have anything against girls at all, but he wasn't sure how to tell Mary what he was feeling. He didn't have the words, in any language. “Girls are nice.” He finished. “Girls are nice and I am not nice. I'm not the same as them.” The older he got, the more he would realize that was true of just about anyone he met.

Mary had to ponder this statement for a moment. Working as a coroner in the city nearby, she was no stranger to people whose presentation and biological sex didn't quite line up. Those were... particularly difficult cases for her to handle, and she would often reach out to the friends of such victims, to offer some measure of comfort and let them know she treated the bodies with the utmost respect. If that's how she treated the dead, well then...

“Frankie, do you think you're a boy?” She asked, gently.

He nodded, biting his lip. He hoped she wouldn't shout at him again. It made his head hurt

“Look at me, Frankie.” Mary said. He didn't cry often and she wanted to make sure he wasn't now. She didn't want him to ever think that he wasn't anything less than wholly loved by her.

He looked up at his mother, matching green eyes looking back. “I love you, Frankie. I'm so happy to have such a wonderful son.”

Franken blinked at her rapidly before realization dawning on his face. He gave her a quick hug, a quirky smile on his face. “Thank you, Mommy!”

“But,” She looked at him sternly. “I still can't just buy you new clothes.”

“Oh.” Equal parts wanting to be destructive and hating dresses, he wasn't sure what to do now that he didn't have anything to wear.

“Let's talk to Daddy when he gets home, maybe we can figure something out?”

Franken nodded and let Mary take the scissors from him. By the time Percy announced his arrival, the scraps of fabric in Franken's room were stacked into neat piles. Mary had to keep distracting him from making yet another mess by letting him hunt for ladybugs in the backyard. She called him back inside as Percy was giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

“We have news for you, Percy.” Mary said, pouring Franken some lemonade. “Why don't you start with your clothes, dear?”

Franken gulped, nervous. He didn't want to be in trouble with Dad too. “I... cut up all my clothes today.” He confessed. Percy blinked at him, nonplussed.

“You did what?”

“I left him alone for an hour and when I came into his room, he had torn all his dresses to shreds.”

“What? Who?” Percy Stein was more confused than ever.

“Franken.” Mary replied.

_“Who?”_ Now he was simply exasperated.

“Me!” Franken said dully, still thinking he'd get another lecture.

“Why-”

“This,” Mary said, placing a hand on Franken's shoulder, “is our son, Franken.” The look in her eye made it clear that there would be no arguing, no rejection from him. She would absolutely get her way, even if it meant leaving.

Percy blinked at his wife and son for several minutes. He knew his child was stubborn and honest, so he was clearly being told the truth. He knelt down in front of Franken, brown eyes twinkling while he tried to retain a stern sort of face.

“Son, why did you cut up your clothes?”

Franken talked Percy through the same thing as Mary. Percy, of course, was irritated but agreed with Mary that making new clothes out of the shreds would be better than having to buy new clothes. Franken gave his father a hug, feeling happy that he was accepted by his parents - also that he had met his physical affection quota to his parents for the week.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A warning for transphobia and misgendering in this chapter.

It took several days and a trip to buy a used sewing machine later, but Percy began teaching Franken how to fix his clothes. Soon, Franken's whole wardrobe of dresses and frilly shirts was to turned pants and casual button ups. Still inexperienced with hand-sewing and using the machine, the clothes that Franken fixed were a little more sloppy, but he liked them more than Percy's fix. The Steins didn't mind in the slightest. As long as Franken wasn't running around naked, they didn't care what he was wearing.

Franken didn't care either. He liked being able to fix something that was broken. It gave his hands something to do that wasn't messy or destructive. It kept his mind at ease. Percy and Mary were relieved that he found another occupying hobby, and were surprised at how well some of his designs came out.

The only thing that worried them was sending him to school. They had discussed homeschooling but socializing with children his age would be good for him, they knew. Maybe he'd come out of his shell and talk more. Mary had dreamed while pregnant about a child running towards her for hugs at random. Percy had been looking forward to piggy back rides. Neither of those things happening didn't change their love of Franken, but sometimes they wondered if they had messed up.

Franken was oblivious to his parents worries and spent the remaining days of schoollessness catching lightning bugs and butterflies, studying their life span. A more positive experience than most other things he might be trying to experiment on. It had exhausted him and he did very little complaining when Mary tucked him in early that night.

“School tomorrow.” She said, smoothing his newly cut hair. It definitely suited him more, she thought. He had never let her take care of it when it was long, but now she could see his face.

“Yep.”

“Gonna be okay?”

“Yep.”

“I love you.”

“I know.”

She nodded and stood, placing a gentle kiss on his head before leaving him to rest.

* * *

“It's normal, you know.” Percy was trying to reassure his wife as they went through their own bedtime routines. “Every parent goes through. I'm worried too.”

“It's not that he's...” Mary struggled with her words while running a brush through her raven dark hair. “Unintelligent, we both know he's not. I just don't want him to become bored or burnt out with what's being taught.”

“We can't keep him home, Mary.”

“I don't want to, exactly.”

Percy yawned, climbing into bed. “I know you don't. This will be good for him. Maybe...” He bit his lip in thought as Mary climbed in next to him. “Maybe he'll assimilate... be more like the other children.”

“Do we want that, though?” She laid on her side to look at him. Of course, Percy and Franken looked enough alike to be related, but exhaustion made them identical.

“No,” He responded, sighing, “we don't.”

“Franken is...”

“Franken.”

* * *

Morning came and the Steins brought Franken to school for the first time. They were relieved when they arrived and saw that the school encouraged parents to meet with teachers, sit in on the first few minutes of the day, and tour the classroom. Franken seemed to be doing just fine, meeting other children. Or at least, any apprehension was hidden under an impressive mask of stoicism.

“Hello, children!” The teacher was a lively older woman who seemed every bit matronly as a parent could hope. “My name is Mrs. Hilbar. Please, take a seat at the table that has your name on it!”

This would be the first issue that Franken would have at school.

“Dad?” He tugged on Percy's sleeve.

“Yeah, kiddo?”

“I can't find my name.”

“Really?” Mary tilted her head a few times, gazing at the laminated desk tags.

“Ah...” Imperceptible to Franken, Percy pointed out the issue their son was having. “Mary, look...”

She nodded. “Okay, stay with Franken.”

They watched as she approached the teacher, Franken wondering if he had already done something wrong. Did they know about the squirrel? Did the teacher see him come in and immediately decide he didn't belong here? He even took a bath last night and everything. All he could do for now is keep holding his dad's hand, trying not to wilt under the paranoia he was experiencing.

Meanwhile, Mary was trying to keep her cool. She didn't like it when Franken could sense her agitation – something that was becoming far too common for her liking.

“Hello, Mrs. Stein.” Yes, the teacher was nice enough, but unfortunately had irked Mary right from the start.

“Doctor.”

“I'm sorry?”

“Doctor. Stein.” Mary's smile was a bit too wide to be sincere. “I have a question regarding my son, Franken.” They had gone over this already during the enrollment process; if this was how it was always going to be, school would be very difficult for her son.

“I'm sorry? Your son?” Mrs. Hilbar looked over her documents until it landed on a paper labeled 'Stein'. “Ah yes, here she is...” Mary grabbed it and scanned it quickly.

_Don't yell. Don't yell._ Exhaling loudly, smile still too big, she spoke again. “Mrs. Hilbar my husband and I were told that Franken would be treated with the utmost respect here.”

The woman seemed confused. “Well, yes, of course, we can indulge her imagination a little bit, but...”

“He's not imagining things.” She said, sharply.

Mrs. Hilbar nostrils flared slightly. “You know, you shouldn't give in to every whim and whimsy your child presents you with.”

Mary had a better idea than arguing with this woman. It wasn't fair to him, she knew, but she also knew that this wouldn't be the first time this would happen to her son. She glanced over at Franken, worried about the blank look on his face. Even still, he needed to start fighting his own battles. Was that the right thing to do as a parent? It wouldn't do to just take him out of school - she didn't want to seem hysterical.

“Of course not.” She said softly, going back to her boys.

“Mary...” Percy said, worried.

“I don't know. It's up to him.”

He nodded and they both knelt down eye level with Franken. He seemed a little more emotive now that Mary was back.

“Franken.” She placed a hand on his head. He allowed it, knowing it probably comforted her more than it comforted him. “In some ways, your teacher is a very nice lady.

“But in other ways, she isn't. She might... make things difficult for you, just because she can.”

Franken tilted his head, looking at his parents. “Why?”

“Because there are people out there that think what we're doing is wrong.” Percy said, sadly. “They think that we're hurting you.”

Franken thought back as far as his memory could go. Nothing he found even remotely suggested that they would do anything hurtful to him.

“I don't understand.”

“It's okay, honey.” Mary said, gently. “You don't have to understand everything right now.”

“Knowing that this could be very difficult, do you think you can stay and try to learn?” Percy would bundle Franken back into the car without a second glance back at the school.

Franken stood there a few more seconds, thinking. He had never been around an adult who disliked him. When his parents told their siblings and their parents about having a boy, they were confused but still doted on him. The specialist that they took him too always asked him so many interesting questions and was excited and happy when he could give the answers.

He had liked that sort of attention, in a way. It certainly would be interesting to be around an adult who, upon meeting him, didn't like him at all, for no reason that he could discern. If he stayed, maybe he could get better at his special talent.

He focused very hard and stared directly into the chests of his parents. He had realized that what he had seen in his mother last year was her soul. It was a pretty green color, like her eyes. There seemed to be something attached to it... a scalpel? She was a coroner, it made sense. It was pulsating with nervous energy now. His father's soul, a soft yellow with an attached stethoscope, quivered in the same way.

He blinked and looked over at his new teacher, Mrs. Hilbar. It didn't seem like he could see anything in her yet, but he knew enough to know that everyone he had ever met so far in his life had a hidden soul in their chest.

And he was very curious to learn about hers.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> content warning for violence against animals.

Kindergarten was loud. And bright. Franken could eventually see every soul in his class, and it made his head hurt. Closing his eyes when he could and sitting out during playtime and reading instead helped, but if he was caught, he'd be in trouble.

And Mrs. Hilbar loved getting Franken in trouble.

Reading books too advanced? A red mark. Closing his eyes for longer than a blink? A red mark. Left-handed? Red mark. It made her soul so happy to give him these red marks.

Still, there were ways that Franken found his own sadistic joy. Bringing in crime scene photos for Show-and-Tell, playing the 'Why?' game, writing in German or Spanish or Italian. If he was feeling particularly vicious, he'd write in Chinese or Arabic. Whenever Mrs. Hilbar expressed her... displeasure, he pointed out that with a language dictionary, she could see that he answered every thing right, marked everything properly.

It was funniest when he would just stare at her. Of course, he was examining her soul, but there was something that adults found unnerving about being stared at by children. And Franken's eyes were looking more disturbed since he was getting less and less sleep.

Not that the nightmares had anything to do with school. No, the stress and irritation of school stayed at school. If his parents asked, Franken lied. He was surprised, having been honest before, about how easy it was to fill their heads with falsehoods. Giving them near perfect anatomical diagrams of body parts he made in crayon helped too.

No, the battle of kindergarten was something that was between him and Mrs. Hilbar. The other children hardly even noticed as Franken only spoke to ask why to the teacher and never to them. Some of the bolder children had tried, but he just stared at them until they ran away. He liked that as much as bullying Mrs. Hilbar. They made him want to puke. Each and everyone of them did exactly what was asked of them every single day. Alphabet story time snack play nap lunch story time math story time snack...

Every day. The same thing, every day. Music class was the worst.

“I am going to kill the man who invented the recorder.” He admitted moodily one night at dinner. His parents laughed, which he did appreciate, but it did little to prevent the headaches he got from the noise.

He often wondered how far he could go. How far they would let him go. It was something that he pondered as he laid on his side, trying to fall asleep. 11:55 pm. In five minutes, he would be six years old. His parents hadn't asked him about celebrating at school, so he didn't know what to expect. He remembered that on Katie's birthday, she had brought in cupcakes. Dennis' dad brought them ice cream from his shop. Leo's birthday was on a Saturday and everyone had received an invitation.

Except him.

So. He analyzed. Done enough damage that his peers rejected him silently. So far, none had personally caused him any distress and it seemed they were more confused at Mrs. Hilbar's actions than his own. So what next? What now? If he wanted this experiment to work, he needed to step things up. He had to maintain the slow steady pace, though. That's what was holding him back. If he immediately started going after students, no matter how much they got on his nerves...

He sat up and looked at the skeletal figures on their stands. Would an actual skeleton of a cat be enough? Or maybe just the head of an animal? If he caught a bird during outdoor playtime...

The pleasantness he felt at causing mayhem finally allowed to sleep. The clock read 12:05.

* * *

“Happy birthday, Franken!” Percy greeted his son as he came into the kitchen. “Looking sharp!”

“Thank you, Doctor.” Franken replied, smoothing down his simple white button up. His whole outfit was white, down to the shoes he had picked out. Scrubs, doctors' coats and the like. It was certainly a specific look he was trying to emulate.

“Um...” Percy glanced at Mary, who just shrugged.

“Anything you want for breakfast, dear?” She asked.

He tilted his head. “Nothing in particular.”

“Are you hungry? You don't eat at school.” After coming home with an uneaten lunch for the dozenth time, Franken had finally told them that he simply didn't get hungry during school.

“A bowl of cereal will be fine, Doctor.” He found a step stool and grabbed a bowl and the cereal that he wanted. He usually sat at the table and waited for one of them to grab and pour for him.

“Are you... all right, Franken?” Mary asked, setting a coffee cup down in front of Percy.

“Yes, of course, Doctor.” He was bored answering their questions. He decided to just focus on eating. Bad idea. The whole... process of chewing and swallowing... he hated it. It made him uncomfortable. Food's only saving grace was his fascination with it and how it affected the body.

For their part, the Steins noticed the shift in him and spent the rest of the morning in silence. They would get periodic phone calls from the school, but it was never anything that they considered actual issues... except maybe the autopsy photos. Percy and Mary had managed to argue the school down at every turn; they even memorized the student code of conduct. It would have been far easier to switch schools or take him out entirely, but they asked him every day if he liked school and every day he said yes.

So they took care of it.

“I'm leaving now.” Franken called.

“Leaving?” Percy blocked the door. “Franken, we're going to drive you like we always do...”

He shook his head. “No, I can walk myself.”

Mary hurried into the entrance way. “Franken, the school is on the way to the hospital, it really does work out best if we take you...”

He frowned. Short lived, but he had the information he needed. Six years clearly isn't old enough to be independent. “Okay.”

The parents shared a relieved look. If they had fought on this, it could have ended badly. Percy opened the door and watched Franken get into the car. Mary put her hand on his arm, brow wrinkled in worry.

“You have to be there early today.” Mary said, slipping her shoes on.

“I know.” Percy grit his teeth. If Franken ran away...

“Deep breaths, love.” She murmured, hurrying to the car. He nodded and followed his family.

* * *

“We have a birthday today!” Mrs. Hilbar announced cheekily as the children cheered. Her power play was short lived however when none of the students knew who she was talking about. They may not have talked to Franken, but Franken was _Franken_. They had never known him as anything else, despite Hilbar's best (worst?) efforts.

“It doesn't matter.” Franken announced to the class at large. “I have no cupcakes or treat to share with you all. Just another day.” The children were very somber indeed after that, shivering at the coldness they sensed in Franken's tone.

He was quiet and polite all morning, even engaging in activities he normally avoided. He wanted to show Mrs. Hilbar that at six, he was much better behaved. It seemed to do the trick – she didn't have one negative thing to say and by snack time he hadn't even gotten a red mark yet.

Once the children were all finished, there was a chaotic rush to the door to be the first on the swing set. Franken hung back, as usual, staying close to the building's shade. He preferred night time or cloudy days. The sun was simply too bright for him.

Since it was his birthday after all, he decided to try something new. Sure it had been a long time ago to a six year old, but he remembered rending that squirrel lifeless in his hands. He was curious about what animals lived in the bushes and trees that flanked the playground; He wanted to try catching a bird. Just to see if he could. If it was a success, he'd repeat the experiment to a higher degree at home.

When he placed his foot on the dirt at the edge of the playground he relaxed his whole body after giving it a mild stretch. He was focused. He moved slowly, hands out in front of him to quickly snatch whatever he could. Soon, a robin presented itself to him and he clutched it victoriously.

He hurried out of the shade and made his way to the middle of the playground. Eyes were on him as they noticed that Franken was out in the sun! And he had a bird!

“Oh, wow that's so cool!” A girl with pigtail braids and freckles smiled at him. He merely stared back.

“Look! Look, Mrs. Hilbar!” Called a boy. “Franken caught a bird!”

Now that made him smile. Surely this would push Hilbar over the edge. He heard her calling him the wrong name and he just stared at her with a smile.

“-it's dirty, you put it down this instant!”

The whines of the children were well ignored by Franken, as were his teacher's orders. Instead, smile growing wider and wider until it was more of a grimace, he twisted the head of the bird with a loud POP before dropping it, dead, on the ground.

“I put it down, Mrs. Hilbar.” He said, still grinning wildly as he wandered back over to the shade of the school building.


	5. Chapter 5

Having been expelled from the school, Mary and Percy had to alternate schedules to ensure that Franken had someone with him at all times. Franken resented this, feeling cooped up and babied. He wanted to go out and catch more animals and actually get a chance to dissect them.

Instead he took to trashing his room as an outlet for his anger. Any toys he had were thoroughly smashed to pieces, books torn up and thrown against the wall, and when he wasn't in his room, he was running around the house, getting into everything that wasn't bolted down.

Their calm, collected child was now unleashing a storm upon the Steins, and they didn't know what to do.

The more strict doctors recommended corporal punishment, but they couldn't bring themselves to cause any sort of physical harm to him. others recommended medications or even sedatives to try to keep him calm. Mary had to rip the phone from Percy's hands when he started swearing.

"It was only the one time." Percy was at the kitchen table, head in his hands. "I get that he scared the students and the teacher, but he's not bad."

Mary's nerves were frayed. "But they expect us to do something... If child services...."

Percy shook his head. "Some people think we spoil him. He has everything. Maybe..."

"I don't think we've overdone it. We have a home, his clothed and fed, has toys... _had_. Toys. He's... we, raised him normally."

"What if the squirrel was only part of it?"

"You mean, you think he's..." Mary didn't want to think about it too much.

"We won't know unless we ask."

They glanced at the ceiling, sighing in unison at the quiet. They were more afraid of him hurting himself at this point. Mary gestured for Percy to head upstairs and ask.

He was worried as he climbed the stairs. Franken was... a bit of a Mama's Boy. It never really bothered him too much since they both gave him plenty of attention, so he knew he was a good father. Franken just preferred Mary.

He knocked on Franken's door. Met with silence, he gently turned the knob and stepped inside the messy room.

"Franken?" His son was sitting in the corner, shredding what looked like the "O" Encyclopedia Britannica. "Are you okay?"

The only indication he gave that he was listening was to stop tearing up the book.

"Your mother and I are worried about you. You can talk to us if anything is wrong."

Again, Percy waited for Franken to respond. Nothing.

"Now, we aren't mad. But it's important to be honest with us. We know you don't mean any harm by it, but I'd like to know if you've killed any other animals besides the squirrel and the bird."

Franken glanced up, still not meeting Percy's eye. Slowly, he nodded.

Percy placed a gentle hand on Franken's shoulder. "Thank for your honesty."

He left the room as quietly as he had come in and hurried back to his wife.

"He's clammed up."

Mary nodded. He was never very talkative, but now it was even worse. "Did you get an answer?"

"He said there's more. I didn't get a number, but... yeah."

"Okay." She ran a hand through her hair and began making calls.

They started with the mental health experts at their hospital. It made them feel better, having Franken talk to people they knew. When the Steins explained his behavior, many of the psychologists and their interns were interested in speaking with him.

One of them got off on the wrong foot immediately. They had decided to go one at a time to make sure the child wasn't overwhelmed, an idea brought by a child abuse expert.

She was the first to speak to him. "Hello-"

"Franken."

She blinked, looking at the file. Percy, who had the day off and brought him to the appointment, groaned internally. Of course they forgot to update the medical records.

"My name is Franken Stein. I am 6 years old and I am a boy."

She blinked. "O... Kay. Well, my name is Sasha. It's nice to meet you."

Franken just stared, waiting for her to ask her questions.

"Do you know if your mommy and daddy wanted a boy?"

"The Doctors Stein weren't sure about having a child, but when Lady Doctor Stein found out she was pregnant, they were happy just to have a child."

Sasha made note of the formality of his speech.

"Oh, no." Franken said, peering at the clipboard. "It's not about formality."

She raised an eyebrow. "Then?"

"They're doctors."

"Right..."

"Did your parents make you into a boy?"

He didn't like the implication of her question. He stood, his tiny frame shaking in fury. "They didn't do anything!" He knocked the clip board from her hands. "My parents are the best! They always take care of me and have never done anything to make me sad!"

Percy burst into the room and grabbed Franken before he could do anything else. He had never seen a look in his eyes quite like the one currently rippling across his features. Rage, violence, hatred...

"Thank you, Sasha, but as you know he did receive a physical exam very recently. We have done nothing to Franken but love and accept him."

She nodded, bewildered and left the room. Franken's face settled into a smirk while Percy waved the other doctors off.

"Are you all right?"

A stiff nod.

"Do you want to keep going?"

Another nod. "Because you want me to, right?"

Percy hesitated. "We just want to help you, Franken."

Franken sat there and thought for a moment. Why did he need help? What was wrong with him? What was wrong with doing what he wanted? He tried to piece together what it could be. Sure, he caused trouble at school, but didn't all kids do that at some point?

While he stared off into the distance, another doctor came and sat down in front of him.

“Hi, Franken.” This one said, clearly not wanting to repeat the mistake of the last one. “I'm Peter.”

He nodded in acknowledgment, though he barely registered the words at all.

“I know you told Sasha that your mom and dad love you, and I believe that.” Peter said. “So let's skip that. Let's talk about just you.”

Just him? He grinned. He was a subject he could talk about all day, his self-interest always expanding as he discovered new things about himself. Just finding out he was a boy caused him to think of himself as the most interesting child in the world.

“Okay!”

Peter smiled good-naturedly, unaware of the hell that he had unleashed. “I'll start with questions, take as long as you need to answer. We'll start with favorites, okay?”

Franken nodded.

“So, what's your favorite color?”

“I like red! It's so exciting when blood spurts out! It gets my hands sticky!”

“Uh...” He glanced to the window where his colleagues were making notes. “What... blood?”

“Well, usually the blood from animals I find that end up in the backyard! But sometimes, Dr. Stein works on cases at home and she shows me the files! The blood is pretty there too!”

“Your mother shows you crime scene photos?”

“I thought you wanted to ask me about my favorite things?”

Peter cleared his throat. “Yes, you're right. What is your favorite animal?”

“The black mamba!”

_What on Earth...?_ “Do you have a favorite food?”

He shook his head. “I don't like eating. It takes too much time and chewing feels gross.”

The look on Peter's face conveyed deep concern. “Do your parents feed you?”

Franken's eyes flashed dangerously again. Rather than waiting to be pummeled by an undersized six year old, Peter stood quickly and left the room as Percy hurried in to his son.

“Okay, bud, we're done for today, okay?”

Franken nodded, his face still contorted in anger. Percy waved the doctors away, unsure if even seeing a clipboard might set him off. He gestured to the doorway, making sure Franken walked in front of him so he could keep an eye on his son. For a child, he had mastered the 'get out of my way murder walk' that his wife had used in medical school. Seeing it on Franken was both endearing and alarming. He couldn't help but shrug apologetically at passersby.

The wheels were turning in Franken's head. Why did the doctors assume that his parents were to blame? They hadn't done anything to him at all except take care of him. From what he understood, they were a normal family. That thought was kind of disgusting though. Following rules was normal, playing nice was normal, listening to the teacher was normal. That was what he was taught and it made him sick to his stomach.

“Can we go visit Dr. Stein?” Franken asked over his shoulder as they made their way to the car. He wanted to shake off all the probing by looking at a corpse or two.

Thinking about his answer about the color red, Percy shook his head. “No, Franken, we're going home now.”

Franken glanced to his father and then back to the car. He knew the way to the coroner's office. He could get there by foot. He grinned again and took off, leaving behind a panicked and bewildered Percy.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should violent precociousness be trigger tagged?

It would continue like that for the next few years, Franken literally leaving _when_ ever he wanted to go to _wherever_ he wanted to go. Sure, there was one therapist that didn't seem to want to give up on him, and while Franken's sessions were still being monitored by the entirety of the psychiatry department, with the Steins' permission, there was still no clear theory or diagnosis they could offer. Franken never told his parents why he allowed the sessions to be recorded, and they decided better than to ask. He was getting better at soul reading, so he knew they weren't afraid of him. They just seemed to be balls of worry and stress.

He couldn't bring himself to care. All he cared about was sating his own morbid curiosity. If something happened to pique it, he was there. He would show up at crime scenes, silently watching from afar. He would stalk people he found to be annoying, just to scare them. He would get into fights when he wandered over to any playground or park – sometimes with adults. Every time they say they don't want to hit a kid, they got hit by one.

And he was, of course, still tearing up his clothes. He knew that part of him was out of control, that he was doing things that were wrong. The cutting and stitching was the only thing that felt right. The only time he felt in control, just quietly working to make and remake his clothes. He had settled on a pure white palette sometime around his eighth birthday. It was something else his parents didn't understand, but that's what the madness and nightmares told him to do. If he listened, sometimes they were quiet, and he could rest.

Mary and Percy could only watch helplessly. The first time Franken had awoken the house with screams, they had tried to console him, but he yelled at them to leave him alone.

“IF YOU COME HERE AGAIN I'LL GUT YOU LIKE A FISH!”

Not exactly the best thing to hear from your nightmare-plagued seven year old. Unfortunately, they knew he meant it even if they weren't quite sure where he was getting his knives. And though it was easy enough to figure out where he got the surgical tools, they didn't even bother confiscating them - they knew Franken would only sneak to the hospital or morgue to steal more.

Some days, he wouldn't even leave his room. They would sometimes go for a week without seeing him. The only reason they knew he hadn't left the house was because they had set up an alarm to go off when someone left.

Every day, Percy and Mary said that they could do this. They could take care of Franken. That they could handle his threats, his violence, his fits. They wouldn't lock him away just because he was different. They refused. Franken couldn't help but laugh at them. It was amusing to watch two people work so hard to achieve absolutely nothing. They had unwittingly brought a monster into the world and not only could they not control him, they couldn't even bring themselves to take him out.

Not that he'd give up without a fight, anyway.

None of them knew how soon such a time would be approaching until there came a knock on the door on Franken's 10th birthday.

“Hello, may I help you?” Percy answered the door quietly. Franken told them all he wanted was hormone blockers before locking himself back in his room. Mary was sleeping, the emotional turmoil having taken a huge physical toll on her.

“Hello, my name is Doctor Stan Ford.” The man reached out a hand to Percy as he introduced himself. “And this is my partner, Professor Ray Narrow.” The woman who was with the supposed doctor smiled. “Are you Percy Stein?”

“I... am.” Percy said warily, shaking both of their hands. “How can I help you, again?” He repeated the question.

The woman held a hand to stop her partner from speaking over her. “We are representatives from Death Weapon Meister Academy. Lord Death has heard some... rumors about certain activities in this area and sent us to investigate.”

Percy Stein was not an unintelligent man, nor was he ignorant. He knew of the academy, but kept himself and his family distanced from it. There was nothing special about the Steins, never had been. As far as he knew, there was nothing special about Mary's family either.

“And what exactly have you been investigating?” _Might as well let them in_ , he thought, stepping back and leading them to the kitchen.

“Mostly it seems that there is a high concentration of Madness here, the peak being around this location.” The man – Dr. Ford? - said.

Percy sighed as he heard a door slam upstairs. “Madness, huh?” He gestured to the doorway right as Franken appeared. “That would be him.”

Ford blinked in utter confused as Narrow inhaled sharply. The Ford family had generations of powerful meisters, but had yet to produce one with the soul perception ability. However, Narrow, though a weapon, did have this ability and what she saw terrified her. There was no way that the soul she was seeing in front of her was actually that of a child.

“Doctor, who are these people?” Franken asked, gazing at them with the same intensity that she was using to stare at him.

“Teachers from the DWMA.” Percy said, going over to stand by his son. “I think, maybe, they would like to talk to you.” He spoke carefully.

“Um. Yes.” Narrow blinked before turning to Ford. “One moment, please.” She pulled him away from the Steins, no doubt hoping to talk to him privately, unaware of Franken's heightened senses. It wasn't just souls he could see. His vision, hearing, smell, all of his senses were above average in strength. He could hear the conversation going on just fine.

“I know he isn't on Lord Death's list, but it might be safer to just... kill him.” she whispered.

“What the hell are you talking about, Narrow?” Killing a child? The thought made him sick.

“He's practically almost a kishin.” She hissed, gripping his arm tightly. “And he has the strongest soul I've ever seen.”

“Surely not ever.”

“No.” She admitted. “But it's leagues stronger than even two star meisters.”

“We can't just kill a child, Ray. We don't even know what's going on here. And that's why we're here. To find out.”

She took a deep breath. “You're right, Stan. I'm sorry. Let's just. See what's been happening.”

They went back to kitchen proper where Percy, Franken, and now Mary were waiting.

“Hello. Mary Stein. Why are you in my house?”

“Mary...” Percy said, laying a gentle hand on her arm. “They're from the academy.”

“Right.” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Every one sit. That means you, Franken.” She added as he tried to slip back to his room. “They're here for you, after all.”

Ever emotionless around people he did not know, Franken heeded his mother and took his seat. The woman was still staring at him. He hated it.

“Stop.” He said harshly.

She blinked and turned away as his parents admonished him.

“Now, I believe my wife asked what you're doing here?” Percy was starting to get annoyed. They'd been here for what felt like hours already, and it was _his_ nap time now.

“Right, right. Back on track. As I said, I am Dr. Stan Ford and this is Professor Ray Narrow. We're from the DWMA and we're here because there's a high level of Madness in this area. We're trying to find the cause.”

“It's me.” Franken said to gasps around the table.

“Honey.” Mary had a wavering smile on her face. “Why would you say that?” Percy couldn't help but roll his eyes. He supposed it was natural that she try to protect him. He wanted to protect Franken too, but maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that the DWMA was here.

“Yes, young Mr. Stein, why would you say that?” Narrow locked eyes with him.

“The nightmares. The anger. The desire for destruction. The visions. You're scared of me.” He added as an afterthought.

“Why would I be scared of a child?” She asked.

“You think I'm going to become a kishin.”

“Excuse me?” Percy stood at the accusation, knocking over his chair.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Mary's eyes bore into the other woman like daggers. “Franken may have issues but he doesn't.... he's... he's not evil!”

“Not yet.” Franken had remained still. “But it was enough to attract the attention of Death.”

“Lord Death.” Ford corrected, eyes narrowing.

“He was just concerned.” Narrow was trying to get the conversation back on track but there was far more tension in the air than she thought possible. “Honestly, with the readings, we thought it had been a coven or at least a fully blown kishin waiting for a chance to strike. But this is... actually good news.”

“What do you mean?” Percy still hadn't sat down.

“He can come with us. To the academy. To train.” Ford explained. “You said that Professor Narrow is scared of you, despite the fact that she's quite adept at keeping her emotions hidden. Can you see souls, too, boy?”

“Yes.”

Mary and Percy looked at Franken in surprise. They knew he liked studying soul theory, witches, and the like, but they had no idea that he had any inherent ability. They assumed, like many things, it was something that he must understand.

“Franken, how long-”

“Since I was four.”

It was now the teachers' turn to exchange a look of surprise. Most of those with soul perception didn't become aware of their ability until the onset of puberty – sometimes later. A child, a toddler, with soul perception was unheard of.

“You certainly are a remarkable young man.” Ford said. It was not a compliment.

“Madness. Soul perception...” Ray was crunching the numbers in her head. “You're right, Stan. He's too dangerous to be kept here.”

“He,” Franken said sharply. “is right here and can be spoken to directly. And I'm not going anywhere.”

Percy had finally calmed down enough to sit back in his chair. Mary's eyes flicked back and forth between the teachers and her son.

“Franken... maybe you should.” She said gently. “You aren't happy here.”

“You just want to get rid of me, don't you?” He asked dully.

“No!” Percy wanted to hold him so badly, but restrained himself. “No, son, that's not it at all. We love you very much. But... your mother is right. You aren't happy here.”

“If tearing everything you owned to shreds and trashing the house was all you needed... we wouldn't care.” Mary said desperately. “But it's clear that we can't help you, doctors can't, regular schooling can't...”

“We... this Madness... we know that's why you're sick, but it's more than just a mental illness.” Percy said. “You've been this way for your whole life. The... anger and explosive violence is newer, I'll admit, but...”

“Look...” Narrow stood. It was in their hands now. “We came here looking for answers and we found them. Whether or not Franken comes to the school is up to you now.”

Ford joined her. “Most students don't join the academy until they're teenagers or if they are a weapon who has activated at a young age. With your... situation, sooner might be better than later.”

“We aren't going to lie to you.” She said. “If the Madness levels don't go down within a year, we will be forced to bring you in.”

“You'd blame the problems of this area on one child?” Percy asked.

“Not all of them, but he is certainly the biggest one.”

Franken glared at them.

“Okay. I think you should go now.” Mary said, ushering them to the door. “You certainly have given us a lot to think about.”

Ford made his pleasant goodbyes as Narrow called over her shoulder, “Happy birthday, Franken.”

His green eyes followed her soul until it was out of range.

* * *

“A kishin?!”

“Percy-”

“They come into our home without so much as a warning and accuse our son-”

“Percy, please-”

“As if he was out there killing people!”

“Do we... are we even sure he hasn't?”

“Mary...” Percy's eyes were filled with tears.

“It's just... you know how he is. We can't even take him out of the house without something happening...”

“Just because some people got hurt doesn't mean-”

“We can't keep making excuses for him!” Mary cried before covering her mouth with shame.

Percy knew she was right, knew that from kindergarten on, it had only gotten worse. He sat down next to her, feeling defeated. “He doesn't want to go.” He said finally.

“That doesn't mean we should keep him here.”

“They're giving us a year.” He said, taking her hand and rubbing the back of it gently. “Something is going to have to change – for better or worse.”

Mary could only continue crying, feeling as though she had utterly failed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Though having never personally watched it Stan Ford's name is somewhat inspired by Gravity Falls. He makes an appearance in my companion fic "Hollow", and is Ox Ford's grandfather. Made sense to also name him after a college, after all.


End file.
